pin it!pin it!
I’m struggling with how to begin this post since my head has been a bit of a jumble this week. I’m trying to fathom certain things while feeling a surge of awe visiting me now and again from simple experiences–turning the volume up beyond reason in the car during twilight hour drives is a good example. Another one: this film in its entirety. One more: I loaded fresh batteries and film into a much-neglected old camera last weekend and whoa! The thing works.

All the while I’m forgetting things, trying to peel myself away from the news here and there, waking up SO early and maybe drinking a bit too much coffee most days. My mind is floating in and out of dreamy-spacey and obsessively interested. Daylight savings/the entire world has thrown me for a loop and I’m slow to admitting defeat.

I’ve been reading so much news in general and when you feel a distinct geographical separation from everything, your heart-mind seems to rise to the occasion as an appropriate response. There’s a tendency to forget about your dependence on others and what they reflect back in your life. Beauty and goodness become cloudier concepts when you read about the trials of others that aren’t so entirely other. They become questions with no answer, but a prevailing will to get back to a place of familiarity seems to rise.

A preoccupation with trying to eat as many healthy/immune boosting foods as possible has bubbled up. This concern is creating its own little foggy space up there, but proving to be a worthy detachment strategy. I’m going on a little trip soon and I’ll be damned if I come down with something that has me sniffling on the beach. An hour doesn’t pass without thoughts of what leaf, seed, herbal tincture-thingy, protein source I’m going to eat next, which is admittedly silly but on it goes. Green juices, this unbelievably restorative hot detox drink from Elenore, vegetables galore and herbal teas have been in constant rotation. I’m usually wholesome on the meal and snack choices tip, but this has become a rather sincere endeavor.

So eventually I got to tangling up some of my favourite vegetables in another effort to de-jangle myself on all fronts. I didn’t totally plan on sharing this, but we loved it so much that I just felt compelled to. This fall vegetable slaw is lovely to lay eyes on with all of its fall colours, wispy shreds and crunchy bits. Cruciferous vegetables have always been some of my favourites. The light spiciness of raw cabbage and brussels sprouts is so pleasing here, their crinkly leaves soaking up an incredibly zippy and fresh ginger dressing. The idea was to kind of bathe a bunch of crunchy leaves and seeds in something that suggested the flavour of spicy ginger tea. There’s shaved fennel and pears too, detectable shreds of parsley for a bitter peppery note and a big scatter of warm and toasty sunflower seeds.

An overflowing bowl of the spicy-sweet with rioting colours in the hands, big awe for the world at large in my heart. Hope you’re all keeping well and taking care of each other.

pin it!pin it!pin it!pin it!fall vegetable slaw with hot + sweet ginger dressingserves: 8-10notes: I might veer towards thicker shreds if you need to hold the slaw for a bit. I went super thin (as you can see) and the dressing saturated the salad way quick so we ate it up. I use a Japanese mandoline (pro tip: a Benriner is the only one worth your hard-earned money) for all the slicing/shredding, but some good knife work will carry you through if need be.

Make the dressing: combine all of the ingredients in a blender and flip to high for 30 seconds. Taste for seasoning and set aside. If you don’t have a blender, whisk the finely minced ginger, lemon juice, cayenne, salt and pepper together to combine. Slowly drizzle the grapeseed oil into the ginger mixture while whisking until thoroughly mixed.

Toss all of the slaw ingredients except for 2 tablespoons of sunflower seeds with a a good amount of salt and pepper. Pour the ginger dressing over top and mix with your hands to combine. Scatter remaining sunflower seeds over the top and serve.

You have such a gorgeous shining heart it´s blinding!
Be kind to yourself and see that all that fog might have something absolutely great to show you…
I am very happy to see that I piece of me is keeping you company, my darling!

This looks fabulous! I agree, I have been embracing more and more veggies this month and I love the colourful nature of this slaw. It reminds me a bit of my detox salad with broccoli and cauliflower and sunflower seeds with an autumn twist. :)ReplyCancel

Yum- I love a nice crisp slaw, and this one is full of so many great ingredients! I too have been completely discombobulated lately, and nothing seems to remedy it. Last night I walked a block right past the bus station without noticing, so deep in thought, and had to turn around and double back to catch my bus. Bonkers!ReplyCancel

This is just beautiful! All those colors together. I can help but thinking that some toasted peanuts would be great on this. And now I cant get this slaw out of my head, until I make it myself.ReplyCancel

[…] the house, wrapped up tightly in a blanket. (Why a lemon so early in the morning? Well, thanks to Laura, I have very quickly become hooked on this drink.) Perhaps it was the cool air that slowed my […]ReplyCancel

Lovely! This looks so delicious, what a great bunch of flavors.
And, loved your thoughts here. There is just too much to process! Some days I don’t think we were made for all this information. ‘There’s a tendency to forget about your dependence on others and what they reflect back in your life. Beauty and goodness become cloudier concepts…’ I’ve been working this out, too. xoReplyCancel

Lindsay11/11/2012 - 2:12 pm

I love your writing and how you phrase your current state of mind so eloquently. Reading your blog is such a treat and I always look forward to a new posting with anticipation. This slaw looks delicious! Looking forward to trying that dressing :)ReplyCancel

This sounds delicious! I have been playing around with raw brussel sprouts in a variety of ways because I have never learned to enjoy them cooked. I was just thinking that the sweet and sour dressing my mom made for a wilted salad sounded like my next experiment, but your ideas of adding some ginger and fennel sounds even better! Thanks!ReplyCancel

pin it!pin it!
I read a passage in a book about arugula recently. It wasn’t a food-focused/cooking book. It was a novel, actually. The narrator of the moment is enjoying a bowl of pasta after being welcomed into an old friends home with some abounding and uneasy circumstances. He enjoys a bit of the dish, goes into a second helping, and the process of flavour/societal recognition begins: “…it had olives and some sort of salad green in it. Yes, arugula: he was safely back in the bosom of the gentry.”

I had a tiny laugh. I also felt like a piece of shit. The implications of yuppie-dom glaring from the page. My mind went to the organic arugula on the top shelf of my own fridge.

I generally dismiss most artisanal/gourmet foods as frivolous kitchen fodder, things that take up space and generally come in tiny/way too festered packaging. Gourmet food shops are a source of annoyance for me, watching people examine and buy small-batch jams, grinders, artisanal waffle mixes and ceramic crocks of herbes de Provence–things no one needs, thought-to-be foodie merit badges, the like. I will clarify that my annoyance lies with the thought that these items are somehow necessary/worth the money; not the consumer as a human being. I like people, seriously, I do.

Despite the presence of some semi-unusual ingredients that I sometimes call for here (‘sup extra virgin coconut oil and smoked paprika!), I’ve always enjoyed more down-to-earth food on the whole: things that are good in nature, made better by a bit of salt and some ability in the kitchen. My grandmother has always liked arugula and bitter/peppery greens. This fondness has worked its way down to my tastes over time. So having grown up with it, it’s carried the connotation of home-y/grandmotherly food. Greens have been a humble and easy thing, there on the plate just when you need them with a sprinkle of chili flakes; not some upper class bullshit thing to feel shameful about.

There are different lives, different approaches to nourishment and the thoughts that surround. Our world is vast and complex with many extremes; this is certain with food also, a necessary across all walks.

Accessibility with food is more widely discussed from a socio-economical perspective–perhaps a lower income neighbourhood with poor fresh food accessibility will see higher rates of type 2 diabetes in teenagers for example. Knowledge and development of skills is a more sensibly approached facet of the accessibility issue to me. It is a pursuit that requires time, certainly, but the reward is so great. The “teach a person to fish…” route. That’s the amazing thing about the computer age: every bit of knowledge is there for the taking. From guides to starting tomato seedlings at home to practical advice on how to serve them once they come into full, gorgeous ripeness (a heavy sprinkle of salt, maybe a chopped herb, some kind of soft cheese and good, toasty bread–just sayin’), there is a resource available to anyone.

So I guess that’s why I’m here? In some teeny way, I’m trying to teach a few people how to fish. Which is to say that I’m trying to teach you how to make a delicious and easy pasta with some humble squash and the noble greens of today’s discussion. There’s toasty nuts, pecorino, garlic, thyme and my favourite pasta shape: orecchiette. It’s not always the most practical shape choice, but it translates to “little ear” and that is just too sweet to pass on for me. It all comes together pretty easily once the squash is roasted, which is exactly what I was aiming for. Shall we go fishing?

butternut orecchiette with arugula and pine nutsserves: 4notes: If you don’t have a blender/food processor for the sauce-pureeing step, just mash the squash and garlic up with a potato masher and the stock in the saute pan. Switch to a whisk to get it real smooth if you like.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Scatter the handful of thyme sprigs across the paper. Rub the halves of squash with the grapeseed oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and lay face down on the thyme sprigs. Place squash in the oven and roast until very tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool.

Once you can handle the squash, scoop the cooked flesh from the skins into a bowl, discarding the thyme sprigs. Set aside.

In a large soup pot, heat the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, thyme and chili flakes, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the roasted squash and stir it all up, mashing the squash down into the sautéing aromatics. Add the lemon juice and the vegetable stock, stir until roughly combined and remove from the heat. Puree the squash and garlic mixture in a blender or food processor, adding more liquid if necessary.

Return the squash sauce to the soup pot over medium heat. Season with a fat pinch of salt and lots of pepper at this point.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1/4 cup of cooking water before draining.

Once squash sauce is simmering, add cooked pasta, chickpeas, pecorino, arugula and pine nuts, reserving a bit of each for garnish if you like. Add some of the pasta water of you want to loosen the mixture up a bit. Serve hot.

Great post, lady! I sometimes find myself engrossed in shelves of pricey gourmet foods – it’s hard not to! But when it comes down to it, these things make up a very small arsenal of pantry items I actually use. Like you, I rely on a lot of what the good earth gives us, and a handful of go-to spices and oils (though, I find the array of spices, grains, oils, nuts, and sweeteners to be like my little collection of fashion jewelery…it can play things up and make flavors you wouldn’t otherwise expect). Either way, I think the most important thing when it comes to food is that it’s nutritious, minimally processed or not at all, and good for the environment.ReplyCancel

we were on the same pasta page! This looks SO good. For hormonal reasons (TMI for a blog comment?) my appetite is kind of sky rocketing, and creamy pasta and pizza is what I am craving lately. Maybe it’s the chill that’s just creeping into so cal. I hope I don’t make a habit of it, but as a lady who typically eats giant salads, these warm dishes are so great! I can’t wait to try yours. Beautiful photos as well, my friend.ReplyCancel

Oh lady! This dish is so great. I’ve been craving pasta and other heavy foods a lot lately (uhh, totally unlike me), and I’ve got a butternut squash just begging to be used. (I type this as I’m devouring a giant ass salad – but an hour ago I was eating through a bag of sea salt sweet potato chips.)

Also, there are bearded men swimming on my bookshelf. And they keep asking me to join them. ;)ReplyCancel

victoria03/11/2012 - 10:18 am

I agree with you about the importance of teaching people how to create good food that is good for you. I live in downtown KCMO, and many of the children and teenagers here suffer from obesity, diabetes, and being overdeveloped from hormones in their processed food. I’m glad there are community gardens and others who want to help low-income people learn to garden and create good food for themselves!ReplyCancel

This post really resonated with me Laura, it’s so easy to get caught up in trying to look trendy or cool and follow the latest food fad. At the end of the day though, I know that all I really want to eat is simple food. Simple ingredients, simply cooked. It’s all you really need. Love this pasta and I love how you do teach us all to fish.ReplyCancel

Laura – this is so good, the recipe and the thinking behind it. Winter squash is here – my favorite time of year – and this is a perfect way to use it. Can’t wait to try it.

What makes food “fancy” is a complicated question – where and how and when and why we purchase things is complicated too. I am a simple food lover, and we avoid all processed food, and I am always surprised when people perceive our farmer’s market habit as a food-snob one. I am glad that you are here, showing us all how accessible and satisfying simply preparing our food can be – not to be fancy, but to be real. Thank you.ReplyCancel

Amy04/11/2012 - 12:35 pm

Oh wow, I just stubmled on your blog and I am loving it to pieces! Your recipes are exactly the type that I cook, but offer new inspiration and combinations such as this wonderful pasta dish that I will prepare tonight.

I love your analogy of teaching people to fish – it is so true! I also often find blogs a source of inspiration to keep cooking wonderful healthy meals when all around me people eat unhealthy and view cooking as a waste of time. So thank you!ReplyCancel

[…] Thorisson. This week I’ve found a couple more and some wonderful recipes on them; The First Mess, with a fantastic roasted butternut and rocket orecciette, and Palate/Palette/Plate, with an […]ReplyCancel

Ahh! Beautiful post. And beautiful recipe. As a maker of artisan foods (I have a small granola co. called Marge), I actually hear you loud and clear! I get so tired of “handcrafted,” “artisan” and “small-batch” on everything that I’ve started to slowly rewrite our copy, so we’re not all becoming one big ol’ cliche. Thanks for the thoughtful post, as always. ~mReplyCancel

Good grief, Laura, these photos are phenomenal! This is precisely the kind of hot meal I’ve been craving lately. I didn’t grow up eating arugula, but I totally freaked out the first time I tasted locally grown arugula. So peppery and flavorful, I eat plain, undressed leaves like I’m eating potato chips. I am SO with you on accessibility and uppity ingredients. I refuse to use ingredients that are only available in fancy gourmet shops and get supremely annoyed by things like the word “foodie”, edible flowers as garnish on food blog plates (seems gimmicky) and overly priced, well-designed packages of preservative-laden pancake mix. C’mon!ReplyCancel

Helen11/11/2012 - 1:41 am

Thank you so much for this fantastic post! I think that the groundswell of home cooking has unfortunately swayed towards the ridiculous – it’s now all about the most exotic, the most esoteric, the most ‘need to demonstrate that I am on the cutting edge of the food world’. It drives me bonkers! What happened to a decent tasty meal?? Keep restaurant food in restaurants – keep the idea of going out for a ‘special meal’ special. I love your recipes & love that your food is real… not to mention delicious! Many many thanks!ReplyCancel

[…] ∞ A couple of links on foodie and “conscious consumerism” grossness: abandoned city farm animals, a food journalist writes scathingly about foodie vanity, and then a slightly differing perspective on how good food shouldn’t be elitist in an information age. […]ReplyCancel

Brandon29/10/2013 - 5:57 am

Made this last night and my husband said it was the best thing I’ve ever made! He and our guests all LOVED it! Thank you so much for the fantastic recipe and the gorgeous photographs.ReplyCancel

Thank you for speaking up a little about the yuppie-foodie thing and how gentrification affects all of the members of our community. With diabetes and other food related diseases on the rise just as much as the home cooking craze (and subsequent increase in price of all fresh foods), it is important to be aware of what’s going on around us and to figure out ways to make healthier food and healthier lifestyles more accessible. Currently, “being healthy” is only marketed as a lifestyle one can purchase – which attracts yuppies while pushing away those of us who are broke. Spreading the knowledge and wisdom of health as a way of life rather than an overpriced weedy green is a great way to reach out to our communities.

“Arugula” isn’t a yuppie food, if there really is such a thing. Some of what people dismiss superciliously as yuppie food here is what common folk ate in other lands. I grew up eating rucola – which is my Italian relatives called it – in Sudbury Ont. and all my distinctly non-yuppie Italian relatives grew it in their yards. We would mix it with various forms of radicchio. There’s a leaf form of radicchio that never appears in the farmers markets that has a buttery texture when harvested young and a slightly sweet, nutty flavour that balances the bitterness of the rucola. Most people only know the red fall-harvested radiccchio head lettuce.ReplyCancel

[…] Butternut Pasta with Chard and Sausage Serves 4-6 Adapted from Sprouted Kitchen and The First Mess […]ReplyCancel

Katherine17/10/2014 - 6:45 am

Made this last night, super tasty. I didn’t need all the stock, probably only 1/3 cup to get it to a nice thick ‘creamy’ consistency.ReplyCancel

katherine17/10/2014 - 7:07 am

Meant to say I added a drizzle of balsamic to the rocket which worked really well and cut through the rich sauce.ReplyCancel

elisabeth20/10/2014 - 12:02 pm

How much is one “small butternut” in grams, please? In austria i can only geht fairly large ones – they weight about 1,2 kilograms each.. Should i only use one half? I don’t want to produce soup ;)ReplyCancel

[…] 20, 2013 1) You need to make this recipe immediately! I tried it out earlier this week and it was. awesome. I can’t wait to make it […]ReplyCancel

Carolyn17/12/2015 - 1:38 pm

Hi Laura I’m totally digging your blog…my kind of food exactly ( but I’m not that creative or good with flavor meshing, so I need/love/respect you!) I’m thinking of bringing this to my Xmas party since there will be no vegan food, however I m working day of and won’t be able to make that day,so any suggestions for making it ahead of time? Thanks!ReplyCancel

Hello, I loved this post! And will be making this recipe come fall when all the squash is in season :) I was wondering what the title and author of the novel you were referring to is? I am interested in checking it out.ReplyCancel

This is a chocolate cake you throw together real quick. It goes with tea and friends coming over on semi-short notice. It also goes with breakfast. You probably have everything in your cupboard to make it. It is vegan, with whole grain flour and unrefined sugar, sure. It’s not the healthiest thing you can make, but it’s a cake. The cake that understands.

I bake it in a loaf pan for that extra casual je ne sais quoi. Then I cover it in a glaze made with biscoff and little chopped almonds, cacao nibs, and coconut; drizzling and sprinkling my way to party time, all kind of on a whim. It’s an unassuming and humble cake that you dress up a bit for company (or yourself). I love that. There’s a feeling of spontaneity lurking in its potential when you bring it out.

The biscoff finish is sweet, nutty, luxurious, and actually rife with guilt in a very special bad-but-feels-good kind of way. You’re essentially glazing a simple cake with a butter made out of cookies. Another reminder seems necessary: it’s a cake.

I had seen biscoff appear on a lot of blogs in the last year or so. Only when I saw it on one of my faves, the amazing Oh, Ladycakes, did I start to get kind of anxious about finding some (ingredient-driven anxiousness, yep that happens). Instead of performing a basic google search, I decided to inquire with Ashlae herself. And you know what that fancy lady did? She asked for my mailing address (in a non-creepy way, trust) and she sent me a jar. In the mail.

There was homemade vanilla extract in a sweet little burlap bag too, all carefully bubble wrapped. It was genuine and generous, much like Ashlae herself. It was an instance of honest kindness that made me excited for the world at large. I always feel good to be right here, but this reminded me of the islands of sanity that do exist in this bizarre, but still big and beautiful, world.

I can get caught up in the mire of the crazy a bit and in turn, can be the worst at responding to things in a general way. Comments on the blog, social media things, invitations to whatever, personal emails, calling people back etc etc. I’m a talk-it-out-in-the-real kind of gal for the most part, so it just takes me a bit longer to completely sort the right response most times. In this instance, cake was a natural approach. It’s my way of reflecting that kindness back at a few more people. Easy chocolate cake sweetness for all :)

pin it!pin it!pin it!
vegan chocolate cake + biscoff glaze recipebarely adapted from The Post Punk Kitchenserves: makes 1 regulation loaf-sized cakenotes: I used some cultured coconut milk for this cake. You could easily substitute that with buttermilk, kefir or 1 cup of whatever milk you like with a big squeeze of lemon added ahead of time to make it curdle. Also, some all purpose or whole wheat flour would sub in for light and whole spelt just fine. If you can’t find biscoff spread, peanut butter would be delicious in its place.

biscoff glaze:
1/4 cup biscoff
1 cup powdered sugar (if you use the organic/not super refined kind, make sure you sift it a couple times)
2 tsp maple syrup
a splash of vanilla extract
3 tbsp milk of your choice (I went the cultured route again for some tang)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a loaf pan with some of the coconut oil. Line it with parchment paper and then grease the paper lightly as well. Set aside.

Sift all of the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Push through any lumps of cocoa powder with your fingers.

In a separate, smaller bowl combine all of the wet ingredients. Whisk to combine, making sure there are no demerara sugar lumps in the mix. It should be smooth.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones in the large bowl. Gently mix everything together with a spatula until just combined. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a cake tester/toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

Make the glaze: In a small bowl, combine the biscoff, powdered sugar, maple syrup and vanilla. Stir with a spoon until the sugar is kind of mixed up with the biscoff like a homogenous paste. It shouldn’t become runny at all. You just don’t want too much loose powdered sugar in the bowl. Add the milk of your choice, stir a bit to get things going. Switch to a whisk and stark whisking firmly until a smooth glaze is achieved. It should make ribbons that last in the bowl when you lift the whisk.

Assemble: Spread the glaze over the cooled cake and top with dried coconut, cacao nibs and chopped almonds if you like. Slice and serve :)

This kind of throw it all together cake is my very favourite kind. A cake doesn’t need to be complicated or fancy to be delicious and to make me happy – especially when it looks as good as this one does.ReplyCancel

I love simple cakes more than I can say. I have a vegan chocolate one that I love as well, but I do believe I’ll be giving YOUR recipe a go next time I’m in need of something of this sort! Looks delicious, and lovely to boot!ReplyCancel

I have yet to find biscoff, but when I do come across it I will definitely bake something up with it. Until then I have no problem throwing together this chocolate cake recipe and whipping up another glaze… it looks too good!ReplyCancel

Personally I cannot think of a better way to response to that kind of love then THIS particular cake.

Oh, I really just want to hug you right now! (and do that crazy dance we talked about)… and be the one how comes over for that semi-short notice fika (fika means kind of like meating up for tea and talk and laughter and an occasional cake)

Oo girl, this is my kind of dessert. Kinda healthy but definitely indulgent, yep. That’s so sweet of Ashlae to send you some Biscoff (and so much more heart-warming than, say, one of those fleeting tweets). I don’t know how to keep up with all the comments and emails and social media stuff and also get stuff done, so it seems like I have to let one thing or another go by the wayside at all times! It can really make a person crazy, can’t it?ReplyCancel

[…] what better way to start a mess than with a cake? Okay, while I could probably handle the whole Humble Chocolate Loaf Cake myself I opted to cut the recipe in half. Yeah, I’m just trying to be not so much of a […]ReplyCancel

Just made this: so moist and delicious :):):) I added an extra tbs of coconut powder (chocoholic!) and it turned out super yammi :) + 1/2 and 1/2 kefir and oatly (oatmilk). Thanks for a tasteful cake recipe!
xxReplyCancel

Hi! This cake looks so incredible, I’m trying it right now! Just wondering if I could use only whole wheat flour instead of both versions of spelt? Spelt flour isn’t available here in India. I’m worried regular whole wheat might make it too dense though…should I mix it up with all-purpose? Thanks!ReplyCancel

So my internet died, and I took a chance using half barley and half whole wheat flours and the cake was perfect! Even added some speculoos to the batter itself, so good! Thank you for an amaaazing recipe :)ReplyCancel

sam06/06/2016 - 4:13 am

Hi! I was thinking of making this cake for a friend’s birthday but I do not have time to bake it on the day itself. If I bake the cake in advance, should I also glaze it and refrigerate it? Or would it be better if I left the glazing part to the actual day, just before serving? Thank you!ReplyCancel

I would leave the glazing to the day of, but not right before serving. You want the glaze to firm up a little bit before you slice it. I would glaze th ecake a few hours before I was bringing it out :)
-LReplyCancel

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I’ve been a bit of a busy bee lately, but I wanted to give you something good and easy this week. The kind of thing you can just jump into with no reservations, using whatever you have. That is the heart of cooking for most of us, right?

This warm rice bowl with chard, avocado, almonds and unbelievably good (+ super easy) ginger miso gravy is synonymous with my solo, city living days. I was in school full time studying nutrition and culinary arts, had 2 jobs, volunteered at a community food centre’s after school program, helped with school functions constantly, worked a line shift 3 times a week for my internship at a high end vegan restaurant AND managed to fit in a shred of a social life. I would come home and wilt onto the couch, gazing towards the kitchen of my teeny bachelor apartment thinking about what I could possibly motivate myself to make.

More often than not, the prospect of this meal lifted my tired body over to the stove: warm brown rice or quinoa with a mix of steamed/raw/leftover roasted vegetables, some kind of sauce/vinaigrette and crunchy topping things. Here’s why: I could always have cooked grains around pretty easily, I made sure my fridge had a good selection of veggies (my school was right by an awesome market–huge help) and when I had a spare 2 minutes I would make a batch of some kind of sauce/dressing in my blender for the week. I learned how to prepare myself/ just have good ingredients around and whoa, my body thanked me for it big time. Twenty minutes of jumping around the kitchen and back on the couch watching Curb Your Enthusiasm with a giant bowl of goodness? Happiest girl.

The vegetables and grains are always interchangeable but a good sauce is so key. This gravy is fresh with ginger and lemongrass, bright with lemon, a fragrant hit of coconut oil, there’s a bit of chili paste to keep it interesting and the miso makes it salty and perfect. I generally always have vegetable stock on hand for cooler weather meals because it makes an appearance in soups, pots of beans, mushroom sautes, curries and wonderful warm sauces like this. They sell decent quality tetra-packed versions so even if you don’t have time to make it, there’s an alternative for you.

I’ve given you a miso-ish gravy recipe before (with mushrooms, white beans and SWEET POTATO BISCUITS, guh I know), but this version is a million times easier. No blending, super straightforward, chop, pour, whisk, strain (optional) and go. It calls for spelt flour too, but if you don’t eat gluten, you could use a teaspoon of arrowroot powder in its place.

pin it!pin it!pin it!warm veggie rice bowl with ginger miso gravyserves: 1notes: I reach for light miso because that’s what I have, but I imagine darker, stronger varieties would be so good here. Also, the lemongrass is certainly optional. There’s plenty of freshness happening with the fresh lemon juice and ginger.

Make the gravy: Combine all of the gravy ingredients except the miso, spelt flour and water in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer. Stir the miso, spelt flour and water together until most lumps are dissolved. Add this slurry to the pot and whisk. Let the gravy simmer and whisk it here and there until it has noticeably thickened, about 3 minutes. Strain the gravy with a fine sieve if you like (but definitely remove the lemongrass stalk). Return gravy to the small pot, cover and put keep warm.

Set a medium pot with an inch of water over medium heat and cover. Place the string/broad beans in steamer basket. Once the water is boiling, put the steamer basket in and cover. Cook until beans are crisp tender, about 3 minutes. Add the chopped chard and cover again. Steam greens until wilted slightly, about 1 minute.

Place the cooked rice in a serving bowl. Top with the steamed greens and beans, bell pepper, carrot, green onion, avocado, almonds and hemp seeds. Give the gravy a quick whisk (just in case some lumps form) and pour it over the veggies and rice. Serve warm.

I, admittedly, live off of soup or smoothies in the winter. They’re easy, require very little work, and are ready in a jiffy. But! I get so (sooooo) sick of soup and smoothies – they become the bane of my existence by January. Busy lady bowl, to the rescue!

PS – I admire your dedication. I turn into a whiny woman if I work more than three days a week, while attending University.ReplyCancel

I love recalling single lady days and busy seasons past — there’s something so GOOD about remembering times that were hard or perhaps a bit melancholy. It reminds me to be more present in whatever I’m experiencing right now, as I’ll surely reflect on it in the same way someday. ALSO, this gravy looks delicious, and I’m always a fan of the one bowl meal!ReplyCancel

I have been so busy lately that I eat exactly the same thing everyday. I have boring personal habits… especially when I’m stressed! This looks like a perfect departure from my rote eating habits. I want to make this tonight! And I love the idea of being able to pretty much have everything on hand, ready to go. Life can get overwhelming… this seems like eye of the storm food! That gravy is calling my name…ReplyCancel

Rice, veggies, sauce … perfect home alone, and also a life-saver when cooking for little people! When my husband is out of town, I will make a pot of grains and set it out with all the leftover veggies from the fridge and a bowl of toasted nuts – my little guys put soyu or ketchup or maplesyrup (geh, I know! but they get to choose!) over top — now I know what I can have on mine. I don’t do much with miso but now I’m inspired. … Thanks Laura :)ReplyCancel

This sounds fantastic. We’ve been making noodle bowls like crazy here – I tried to make a good lemongrass/coconut milk sauce, but it was just okay. I’m going to try yours this week! Lovely photos as always.ReplyCancel

I love miso gravy! It reminds me of being a teenager in Vancouver and spending all my time eating sesame fries with miso gravy at the Naam. I’ve made my own plenty of times, but this version sounds extra special. I’ll definitely give it a go, and I’m sure it’ll become a staple in my kitchen. Thanks for the recipe!ReplyCancel

[…] new ingredients around here, but I just loved this ginger-miso gravy from Laura’s blog The First Mess. It was so easy, fast and incredibly delicious. I didn’t have lemongrass, so the only thing I […]ReplyCancel

Ok, this was seriously delicious! Not in the habit of making any type of gravy but this was so healthy, so satisfying, easy to make, and so tasty! It is definitely going into the regular rotation.ReplyCancel

Thank-you Laura for sharing this super tasty miso gravy recipe! I love how versatile and easy it is. Every single recipe I’ve tried from your blog has been delicious – and there are so many more to try. Thanks again!ReplyCancel

There are blankets, hot beverages to wrap your little fingers around, old sweaters, all of those warming foods that remind us of our childhood or ones that just make us feel good. Everything seems like a joyous reunion; the biggest hugs, the wide smiles that say “HIIII!” when you come near, the familiar notebooks with the blank pages, your favourite scarf comes out of the closet, the light is friendlier at any given moment of the day… There is intent and warmth in every move.

There are more inclinations to bring us into the kitchen, that beating heart of pure goodness and love. There’s stock to be made for soup, squash and roots to be roasted, more languid breakfasts to be had with the ones you like to hold close. The food takes a bit longer and we never mind. Steam rises and falls out of heavy pots. The dog cuddles in a blanket on the warm spot beneath the oven. Slower time, coziness, that intimacy with all of our surroundings. It’s here, it’s here.

People always say that time slows down in the summer and really, I couldn’t disagree more. I feel like we’re always shipping off here and there for whatever excursion or event from June to August. Fall is a return to comfort in routine and more simplified time spent in each other’s company. It is dependable. The leaves turn like clockwork and we turn into each other around the table, under a wooly blanket, across the classroom, wherever we may be. It is the season that brings all of our communities into focus.

So I wanted to make a salad. A warm one with hearty greens and sticky balsamic roasted beets. Some quinoa fills it all out and the pecorino gives a salty bite. You toss the whole mess of it with a muscovado sugar-tweaked balsamic and oil mix that sloshes around the beets while they roast away. There was a version of this in the latest Donna Hay magazine and I was pretty jazzed to even conceive of all my favourite things in one bowl. Party time!

warm kale salad with quinoa + balsamic roasted beets
Inspired by Donna Hay Magazine, Winter 2012 issueserves: 4notes: You could use chard or actual beet greens for the salad as well. If you only have access to bigger beets, just cut them into quarters or sixths pre-roasting. Some crunchy, toasted hazelnuts would be a nice garnish here too.

Place the trimmed beets in a 2 inch deep ceramic or glass dish. Pour the balsamic vinegar and grape seed oil in. SPrinkle the muscovado sugar, salt and pepper around the beets. Cover dish with foil and roast for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, stir the beets up a bit and continue to roast, uncovered, for 20 more minutes. They should be quite tender. Remove from the oven and allow dish to cool.

In a small saucepan, place the rinsed quinoa and 1 cup of water. Add a pinch of salt. Place pot over medium heat and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes or until quinoa is mostly cooked and the little tails start to pop out. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a large soup pot, heat the 2 tbsp of grapeseed oil over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and smoked paprika. Stir around until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the quinoa, a splash of water and half of the kale. Stir around until kale begins to wilt a bit. Add the remaining kale, season with salt and pepper and keep stirring. The kale should all be slightly wilted, but still firm. Take off the heat and transfer kale and quinoa mixture to your serving bowl.

Arrange roasted beets on top of the greens and quinoa. Drizzle salad with the balsamic cooking liquid in the pan (there should be about 1/4 cup of it left). Scatter the pecorino shavings on top and serve.

Ah yes! All of it! I have been getting all cozy and enjoying the grey days and sweaters and quiet music and cups of tea and bowls of oatmeal …. and just loving fall. You nailed it. Plus those photos are stunning!ReplyCancel

I totally agree with you about summer’s pace being so fast. Fall is mellow! This warm salad looks just right, and has many of my favourite things as well. And, lucky me, there is a new shop around the corner from my apartment that actually has kale! Thanks for sharing the recipe, and the fall mix. Downloading now!ReplyCancel

Hello First Mess! I absolutely love your recipes and the beautiful photographs you take to go with them. I am trying to figure out when in the weekend I can make this recipe. It is the perfect blend of my favourite Fall ingredients. Thanks for such a great blog – you inspire me!ReplyCancel

“Autumn is the season where we go home”…I love that and I totally didn’t realise that was how I was feeling until I read it. Love the earthy flavours of this salad.ReplyCancel

Spring14/10/2012 - 12:43 pm

Made this for dinner last night. It was sooooo delicious! Thanks for sharing, and I love your blog :)ReplyCancel

Liz16/10/2012 - 12:49 pm

I found your blog through Pinterest the other day. I have been looking for a blog like this for months! Thank you for posting such thoughtful vegetarian recipes – easy enough for weeknights but beautiful for company too.ReplyCancel

I did not peel the beets in this dish. They were baby beets, so the skins were a bit thinner. I generally don’t find eating the skins of a roasted beet too bothersome. But it’s all personal preference :)
-LReplyCancel

Linda Wilson22/06/2013 - 4:18 pm

Wow, I am impressed and cannot wait to try your recipes. I have an abundant garden and weekly organic CSA delicacies to use up and enjoy, and your recipes are supplying my needs! Thanks Laura!ReplyCancel

Christine10/08/2013 - 9:09 pm

I just discovered your website as I was looking for a recipe for the kale, baby beets and garlic I bought at the farmer market this morning… The recipe was delicious and your website is absolutely amazing. I just subscribed to your feed too and will definitely try your most recent recipes in the future!ReplyCancel

CAN I THANK YOU FOR INTRODUCING ME TO BEETS? I hope through all the caps you see how excited I was about this recipe. I’ve had tons of quinoa (as a new pescatarian): this was an excellent new way to add flavor and make the make of random ingredients in my fridge. Linked to the recipe on my blog so I hope that helps you get even more notice.ReplyCancel

[…] me, if you’ve never had marinated beets (which I can’t say that I had before this) this Kale Beet Quinoa Salad will be a revelation. Start them first because the roasting does take a while (50 minutes) but you […]ReplyCancel

[…] It’s definitely been a banner year for kale and beets, so why not finish the season out strong with this trendy, vitamin-packet side?! Add organic garlic and local honey to your delivery, which may contain the kale and beets now in season. Visit TheFirstMess.com for the full recipe. […]ReplyCancel